₦airaland Forum

lafuria1: Lab rats, Smh, what happened to people when Pfizer came with their meningitis trial drug comes to mind.

But in this desperate times, they have no choice but should be prepared for any side effects.

Lab tats or not, what choice do they have? If they die using the drugs, at least they tried.

It is a sweltering morning in the over-stretched Ebola clinic in the Liberian capital Monrovia, and Kendell Kauffeldt scowls in frustration as a jeep pulls up with a new patient.

“It’s dangerous to bring cases in private vehicles like this,” he chides as he watches the Toyota disgorge its five passengers at the main gate.

“The ministry of health has established protocols. There are hotline numbers that people have to call. And when you call there are ambulances, with trained people on board who are protected, to take the patient to hospital.”

Kauffeldt, the director in Liberia of Christian aid group Samaritan’s Purse, is at the forefront of the country’s battle with the worst outbreak of Ebola that the world has ever seen.

More than 300 Liberians have been infected by the tropical virus, which has been raging in west Africa’s forests since the start of the year. More than half of those who have caught the disease have died.

But Kauffeldt and other aid workers warn that it is ignorance over Ebola, rather than the virus itself, that is pushing up the death toll.

Ebola is a terrifying spectre for the people of Liberia’s remote forests, who have seen relatives die in agonising pain.

The virus can fell its victims within days, delivering severe muscle pain, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in most cases, unstoppable bleeding as the patient’s organs break down and seep out of their bodies.

- Damaging myths -

Yet the pathogen itself is not particularly robust, and can be seen off with soap and hot water.

Epidemiologists point out that Ebola is relatively difficult to catch and isn’t even airborne.

The virus requires contact with the bodily fluids of a victim — their blood, urine, faeces, vomit, saliva or sweat — to leap into a new host.

For those unlucky enough to catch Ebola, the disease it brings about is also treatable, say experts.

Patients who are kept hydrated, given paracetamol to keep their temperature in check and treated with antibiotics for secondary infections have a fighting chance of recovery.

But in a country where remote communities are deeply superstitious of western medicine and often rely on the wisdom of witch doctors, a variety of damaging myths have built up around Ebola.

Among the most worrisome is the widespread belief that Ebola is a western conspiracy or doesn’t exist at all. Another is that entering an Ebola treatment centre is accepting a death sentence.

In the new clinic set up by the charity Samaritan’s Purse in Monrovia’s ELWA hospital, up to 10 new cases are registered every day.

“With communication and education not robust as they should be, we see this happening where Ebola cases are brought in taxis or private cars,” Kauffeldt tells AFP.

“This is very worrisome because everybody in that car has had contact with the patient. We need to watch them for 21 days to know whether they have been infected.”

- Admitting Ebola is real -

It’s not just taxi drivers who have to worry. Ebola patients, ignorant of the risks, are putting their own family members in grave danger.

Ten-year-old William Benadict, one of the clinic’s success stories, has made a full recovery against the odds after catching the virus from his dying mother.

“I was near mama when she was sick. When she died, I got sick,” William says as he prepares to leave the centre and return to his village.

James Kollie, the clinic’s ambulance driver, explains that the boy’s mother summoned her son to lie beside her as she was dying in bed, coughing, vomiting and generally presenting a grave risk to anyone nearby.

“I drove the vehicle that carried the team to pick him up. That day everybody was running from him. I shed tears for him,” Kollie tells AFP.

On Friday the leaders of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea agreed a $100 million emergency action plan to beef the response to Ebola.

Much of the cash will go on deploying medical workers. But the plan also includes provision to improve education throughout the Ebola zone straddling the three countries.

Lawmaker Peter Coleman, the head of Liberia’s Senate Committee on Health, says the poverty endemic across the country has been a major obstacle to spreading reliable information.

“The majority of Liberians don’t have access to radio. In our villages only few people can get radio messages,” he told AFP.

“There should be a campaign from village to village, from community to community, from town to town, even from door to door.”

Samaritan’s Purse, which runs all three of Liberia’s treatment centres with help from other aid agencies and the government, believes education is as important as medicine in saving lives.

“We have to admit, Ebola is real. People are dying of Ebola and they don’t have to die of Ebola,” Kauffeldt said.

“If they come and seek treatment early they will survive.”

Plan plan plan!!! Why not unveil the action instead!!!

thegoodone2: Yoruba and Igbo should leave far north

is it only Yoruba and igbo in the north, what about other tribes... I'm tired of these igbo yoruba hausa thing.

You mean "attack on Muslims in the north by MUSLIMS"

Lol dial the number, you never know...

Hmm, I don't know why the government has to lie to the people about the blast in Lagos.

atlwireles: Rubbish as usual, what has government giving control to Lagos got to do with an accident. You with your one billion percent knowledge, should tell your saint of a gov. To accept responsibility for an accident in his state and pipe down.

Mr man have u ever been to Apapa or tincan?? Have u seen the amount of tankers and container trucks on that road loading and going to all parts of Nigeria If you have seen this, im sure you will agree that having a railway line going from apapa can save a lot of accidents on our roads and yes!!! perhaps those 15 people would still be alive today.

Fashola is right on this one

Looking beyond tribal, relegious and sectarian sentiments, Fashola should run for president.

Pls like if u feel thesame way

Who go pay for the tablet

Eko oni baje!!!!!!

If that chair break!!!

stunning4real: Is like the president has done a terrible secret thing that is know to his along nd he doesnt want to b xposed. because am begin 2 imagine why a man who supposed 2 b d head of his home cant cub his wife madness. D rate @ which she is going, she will end up jeopadizing her hubby political careeer.

You sure say this woman no dey beat jona for house

If they should by any chance win the election, this woman may do more than this.

Widows of police officers killed by
Boko Haram beg for jobs
on january 04, 2014 at 3:43 pm in news

Some wives and children of policemen killed
by Boko Haram insurgents, on Saturday
appealed to the government and the Nigerian
Police to provide them with vocational
training and jobs.
The widows and other members of their
families made the appeal in Kaduna during
the distribution of bags of rice, vegetable oil
and a cow by the Inspector General of Police.
Mrs Margaret Ishaya, the wife of one of the
deceased officers said the widows were ready
to accept job as cleaners.
She said that it would go a long way to
enable them fend for their families and
appealed to the police authorities to consider
members of their families during recruitment.
The wife of late Ins. Sunday Badeh, who died
in the process of detonating a bomb, urged
the police to fast track the payment of
benefits to the affected families.
Mrs Badeh, however commended the support
from the police authorities following the
demise of her husband.
Also speaking, the widow of Sgt. Yakubu
Musa, who was killed on 18 April, 2012 at
Rigasa said some of them needed jobs to
have a steady income.
The Insp. Gen. of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar assured the widows and other
families of deceased officers of the Police
continuous support for them.
Abubakar, represented by the Commissioner
of Welfare, Mr Usman Yakubu, said the
distribution of food items was aimed at
alleviating the hardship the families of the
deceased officers were facing.
He said that the police have so far
distributed food items to families of deceased
and injured officers affected by the
insurgency in 10 states.
“Though they have paid the supreme price so
that Nigeria and Nigerians can live in peace
you will continue to be regarded as active
members of the Nigeria police family,” he
said.
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police,
Mr Olufemi Adenaike, said that the command
recently distributed N10, 000 each to families
of the 29 policemen killed between 2011 and
2013.
Adenaike said that the effort was aimed at
providing them with succour during the
yuletide and New Year. (NAN)

The police is your friend...smh

Op I think being a vergin or not is not the problem. It all depends on the character and attitude of the girl. Yes vergins comes with alot of inexperience, but if shes willing to learn I have no problem with that. But if a girl stinks in character, vergin or 'okpo' its all thesame

Lol. Very funny. The girl na sharp girl!!

Ok, this is actually good.

Do u still have the coconut shell?

Yes I can. But I have a few questions, shipping to where, how many tons do you need? And how much are u offering

Hmm

Its really very sad

U guys dont understand they killed him with old age. Hahahaha..... my bele oh!!!!!

A bus driver can make that in a day. SMH

I will be glad if this could make front page so that the plight of these widows and children. Can u imagine how many children has droped out of school? There is one widow I heard of, she resolved to selling recharge cards with a capital of 1000 naira. She was crying bitterly when she lost the 1000 naira!! Just 1000 naira!!!

Sorry for the typo. I have corrected it.

This is a very serious matter. I find it hard to imagine that widows and children police offers and public workers who died in active duty have still not been paid. SMH

Hundreds of police officers have died this year alone due to unrest in the north

.